Successful brands are found in every segment of business, from jewelry to cars to flooring—often with different go-to-market strategies. What these strong brands share, however, is a set of building blocks to achieve success, experts say. They value long-term relationships over short-term sales; they develop strong branding that is consistent and visually compelling; they understand the value of meeting customers’ needs; and they continually innovate to better serve their audience. These are just some of the personality traits illustrated by the brands featured in this special edition.
To view the full Power of Brands special feature, visit our July 31, Aug. 7, 2023 issue.
5 Ways To Build A Brand
Building brand power goes beyond creating a great logo. Companies with strong brands drive customer loyalty and revenue while differentiating themselves from competitors in the market. That’s according to Astute Communications, a creative solutions agency that builds digital strategies along with brand development and marketing for its clients.
Astute identified five ways a company can build brand power to help stand out in the marketplace and drive customer loyalty.
Conduct market research
When it comes to research, the more you do the more value you will receive. Answering the following questions encourages you to understand your brand better and helps you set benchmarks for measuring growth.
- Are customers aware of your brand?
- How are you perceived in the market?
- How do customers view your brand compared to others?
- What characteristics do people associate with your brand?
Additionally, conducting competitive analysis allows brands to monitor how your competitors do business, including how they speak to their customers, how much they charge for their products and services and what marketing tactics they use to promote their products, services and overall brand.
Focus on a value proposition
Your brand is a promise to your customers, so it must convey a unique value that stands out. Think about why your customers choose your products or services over your competitors.
Ask yourself:
- What problem does it solve for your customers?
- How does it benefit them?
- What qualities set your brand apart from its competitors?
A value proposition is one of the most important conversion factors and can make or break a customer investing in your brand. Therefore, creating a value proposition that accurately represents your products and services and clearly shows why your brand is the best choice is essential.
Develop a strong personality
If you want to connect with your customers on a deeper level, you must breathe life into your brand beyond its logo. When you think about good brands such as Apple, Nike and Harley-Davidson, they create brands that customers love by having an authentic, clear voice.
It’s critical to align your brand’s personality, messaging and imagery with the customers you want to attract.
Create emotional connections
Humans innately want to connect with others, so you should never underestimate the power of emotions.
Ask yourself:
- What are your customers’ experiences with your brand, products or services?
- Is there a topic that your audience wants to hear your opinion on?
- Do you have any unique tips that you’ve used in the past to connect with your audience emotionally?
Understanding your customers’ needs and what encourages them to act fosters an emotional response. Tapping into your audience’s emotions increases your chance of standing out.
Communicate consistently
Once your brand develops a strong personality, voice and tone, you must implement it consistently through every customer interaction across various digital marketing channels. You never want to sound like two different brands online or off. Your brand communications should remain consistent whether you’re communicating with customers in person or through digital marketing channels.
Ask yourself:
- Does my messaging align with my brand’s identity?
- How does my brand’s messaging resonate with my audience across marketing channels?
- Do my customers feel connected to my brand?
Brand consistency ensures you deliver messages that align with your brand’s core values, personality, voice and tone.
The takeaway
Building a strong, memorable brand is less about the products and services you offer and more about how you present yourself to your potential customers. Brand power allows you to elevate your brand above your competitors, focusing on what you have to offer in a unique way. Powerful brands take a product or service and turn it into so much more: a memorable customer experience. Brand power is derived from leveraging your unique value proposition, which builds brand awareness and drives customer loyalty.
